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| Photo courtesy of dinno 19 (Flickr.com) |
It
seems that most Filipinos nowadays have lost their enthusiasm when it comes to
voting for elections. The average Filipino would ask: “Would it make a
difference?” And we can’t blame them; most Filipinos have connected the country’s
deteriorating political system to their increasing domestic problems. Most
Filipinos have conceived the idea that the political system is the key factor
that affects the quality of our living; as a result, Filipinos have become
accustomed, passive and indifferent.
But
voting for elections does make a difference, and we should realize that. Even
if the government extorts from us in legal and illegal ways (and it will never
change), wouldn’t it make a difference if the elected official is a “lesser
evil”? Let’s face it: corruption is already a natural phenomenon in Philippine
politics; it’s already there. Yet even if we cannot remove it, we can lessen
it. And how do we lessen it? Pick the “lesser evil” politician. Pick the less
corrupt. Pick the less tainted. And we can do that by voting for elections.
While
it may occur in other parts of the country that people have a “good candidate”
to vote for, our town is different: there’s no good choice. The fat candidate
(in terms of his physique and money) comes from a family facing numerous charges,
and this candidate is alleged to be always absent in his office. The candidate
making a “comeback” was at a time associated with the fat candidate, and now he’s
running against him (that’s how quick politicians change sides). Another
candidate is seeking re-election, and the only thing that I can remember during
his previous term is the misplaced archway that his administration built to
serve as the boundary of our town with the next town. A dispute ensued, and the
other town won, resulting in the demolition of the archway. It was a waste of
money and effort.
You
might be thinking: “Even if we choose the ‘lesser evil’, it still wouldn’t
improve our political situation. The government is still corrupt; national and
local programs are still poorly implemented; law is not fully enforced. Yes it’s
true, but by exercising our right to vote, we can manage to decrease the
magnitude of all this. It’s better than doing nothing about it, right? If your house
is on fire, wouldn’t it be better that you died trying to escape, rather than
locking yourself in despair?
Despite
these circumstances, I believe that choosing the lesser detriment is every
Filipino’s responsibility, and he can fulfill his responsibility by voting for
elections. Our single vote can make a difference, and it takes only one vote to
determine the outcome of the election. My advice for the average Filipino is
this: stop thinking that the political system is the main reason why your life
is miserable. It’s time to break the cycle. Don’t get accustomed to our present
political situation if you want it to change for the better. It’s time to be
active, and it’s time to get involved.
